The days of thunderstorms forcing the Jaguars into makeshift indoor practice spaces are numbered.

The organization decided to build an indoor practice facility.

“The team has decided, consistent with what [owner] Shad [Khan] did before, we need to give our team the support systems to give it the best chance to succeed,” Jaguars president Mark Lamping said. “I think falling under that umbrella includes being able to practice when it’s raining outside and not having to go up to the west club.”

Lamping said the facility would likely fall under the financial responsibility of the Jaguars and that it would probably cost more than $10 million.

The project is still in the planning stages. Neither a location nor the type of indoor facility has been determined yet.

Bill Prescott, the team’s chief financial officer and senior vice president of stadium operations, said talks of building a practice facility began in 2005 but never went further. It was something for which former coach Jack Del Rio lobbied often.

“We took a look at the costs of doing it and the benefits,” Prescott said. “It just didn’t work out in terms of going forward. It rebubbled up in the past three, four weeks, I’d say. Especially in terms of the tropical storm and how it wreaked havoc.”

The Jaguars had to relocate to the west club section several times during their voluntary offseason workouts this spring. They held pared-down practices amid concession stands. During their mandatory minicamp, the Jaguars relocated to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena for one practice because of a brief storm. The arena was not available during the voluntary practices that needed relocation.

Prescott mentioned the south end zone as an option for the location of the facility. Yet to be determined is whether it will be a practice bubble or a more permanent metal building. Having it off-site is not an option because the Jaguars want to be able to move practice indoors at a moment’s notice in case of, for example, an unexpected thunderstorm. It will also be used for events throughout the year.

The earliest the facility could be ready is next year.

“These types of things, they’re major capital enhancements,” Lamping said. “There’s a lot of work that has to go into this, a lot of planning, financing work because it’s probably over $10 million to build an appropriate facility. That’s not something that can happen overnight.”

Though the facility is a future project, the Jaguars and the city have begun upgrades throughout EverBank Field.

The city is beginning a $2.8 million project, most of which will go toward upgrading the sound system so it will emanate from all over the stadium, rather than just the scoreboard. The sound-system upgrade will cost $2 million. An upgrade to the beer lines, intended to deliver colder beer to consumers, will cost $300,000, and other smaller upgrades will account for the remaining $500,000. Cellphone towers to enhance cellular reception and Wi-Fi installation in the stadium are also in the works, a project worth $1.5 million, in which the telecommunications providers will invest and will not cost the city or the Jaguars.

The Jaguars themselves are spending $3 million on renovating the locker room. That process will include an expansion to fit 90 lockers and an aesthetic makeover. In the past, roster sizes were smaller, especially in the offseason. Last year, when teams were allowed to have 90 players in training camp, the Jaguars brought temporary lockers into a very crowded locker room.

“The lockers will be more functional, have equipment to dry shoes, dry shoulder pads,” Prescott said. “Make it more conducive to the equipment the players have today vs. 18 years ago. It’s going to have a richer feel to it, more dark woods than what we had before. High-end finishes.”

Digital upgrades to video screens in the stadium began last year. Prescott said upgrades to the scoreboards are coming, but that is a project likely for the 2014 season. Prescott estimated that would cost $6 million to $8 million.

“The city owns the video boards,” Lamping said. “We’ve expressed to the city how important the fan experience is. That the experience in the stadium has to be distinctly different from what the fans can get at home.”

10 million dollar bubble at teams expense 5 times the expense to upgrade the sound system...

3 million dollar locker room upgrade paid for by the team. Which will also benefit all the college bowl games and the Florida/Georgia game which the stadium was built too large to accomodate in the first place.

You can't even imagine the tax impact the team and games have on the city...hop down off the soap box I think the thinner air is affecting your thought process.

IMHO the majority of these up grades are tax payer financed, team still has no obligation to stay even after we invest.

We could be sitting on a whole stadium PLUS upgrades and have no team if they so desire.

Art Model did it in Cleveland, over night!

Shad Kahn appears to be of a different breed with a whole lot of integrity and certainly business savvy and taken at his word he is "ALL IN".

We as the community must ensure the Mayor or Office of General Council dont screw it up. But you know what IMHO as a tax payer I dont want to be taken to the cleaners either. I dont believe that will happen, but we never know.

Personally I and most of the city couldnt care less if the beer was colder. why do the tax payers have to pay for something like that?

Audio investment seems equitable for all, but beer? Palease!

But you can see we give the Jags millions to spend any way they want to keep them happy. That covered practice field? they'll get it.